icy sidewalks

[yttims44]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Pa.
We live on a hill. During the winter our sidewalks become all ice. We try and keep them clean but due to our neighbor it is impossible once it starts to melt. They are the house on the top of the hill, we are next. They have a pipe that comes out of their retaining wall and the water comes right down our sidewalk. I have tried talking to the woman but she becomes angry. What can I do. I don't want to fall or have anyone else fall on my property. Do I hire an attorney or what?

 

[Cedrus]

Is it possible to add on to the offending pipe and angle it away from the sidewalk into the dirt or ditch or ???

 

[yttims44]

I did ask her to do something like that but she just got angry and started a shouting match. I turned around and walked back to my porch

 

[Kiawah]

You can't stop mother nature, and the wall has to drain or it will freeze thaw and collapse out eventually.

This fix is to route the water in some manner where it doesn't run down the sidewalk, and may take a little construction on your part. Without being able to see your exact situation, it's hard to visualize. But it sounds like you have plenty of slope, which actually makes it easier to route the water.

You can tear up a couple of the walk pieces, and lay the concrete so that the water runs the right way. If it has to get across the walkway, you may have to tear up a piece of the walkway and lay a drain pipe (or tunnel under). Capture the water, runs under the walkway and out to the street or over the hill or whereever it drains to.

Call in a competent contractor and have them give you a couple of ideas and prices.

 

[HomeGuru]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Pa.
We live on a hill. During the winter our sidewalks become all ice. We try and keep them clean but due to our neighbor it is impossible once it starts to melt. They are the house on the top of the hill, we are next. They have a pipe that comes out of their retaining wall and the water comes right down our sidewalk. I have tried talking to the woman but she becomes angry. What can I do. I don't want to fall or have anyone else fall on my property. Do I hire an attorney or what?

**A: plug up the whole with a stick of dynamite.

 

[FarmerJ]

check with your city /county govt center to learn if there are specific ords on the books that address one property doing something to cause /direct drainage from it to go onto a nieghbors property. If there is a ord and it addresses this situation. You can send her a copy of it with a letter asking her to correct the problem before inspections are called. IF there is no ord then either take reasonable steps to correct it your self after notifying her OR use the links up top and speak to a real estate atty about what you will have to do to prove Damage to your property before you attempt to sue.